It's a dubious distinction, but former Jersey City schools chief Charles T. Epps Jr. tops the "100K Club," a list created by New Jersey Watchdog to let Garden State residents know who has the highest pensions among public retirees.

Epps, who retired at the end of 2011, and former Essex County College president A. Zachary Yamba lead off the list, with each getting a $195,000 pension.

Coming in at No. 4 is retired North Bergen High School football coach Vincent Ascolese, who has a $180,180 pension, while former North Bergen schools chief Robert Dandorph is at No. 9 with $159,900.

New Jersey Watchdog's new report says the number of retired public employees in New Jersey who pull in pensions of at least $100,000 has grown by 75 percent since 2010. The number then was 992. Last year, it was 1,731.

The group calls former Joseph Blaettler, the former Union City deputy police chief, a “poster boy for special retirement in New Jersey.” The group noted that when he retired and began collecting a $135,000 annual pension, he was only 46.

Blaettler, who lives in Morristown, told The Jersey Journal that irate taxpayers should direct their anger at politicians, not public workers or retirees.

"Politicians need to explain how salaries got so high," he said, adding that when he started working, his salary was only $18,000.